According to a recent UN-backed study, the world must triple its investments in nature-based solutions by 2030 in order to successfully tackle the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
In an effort to support action geared towards achieving that ambitious goal, last Friday, the UN launched the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration — a program aiming to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.
During the virtual launch, the intergovernmental organization brought together heads of governments, religious leaders, artists, and activists from across the world to build a strong global climate restoration movement.
The program will run through 2030 — which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals — under the co-leadership of the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) and the Food and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Their efforts will include building political momentum for restoration as well as thousands of initiatives on the ground.
“Businesses and the financial sector must reform operations and financial flows so that they restore and not destroy the natural world,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, noting that individual action is also key: “Re-think your choices, demand deforestation-free products, vote for sustainability in the polling booth, and raise your voice loud and clear.”
